


The Prince And Knight

by camichats



Category: Marvel
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, MIT Era, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camichats/pseuds/camichats
Summary: Tony demands that Jim tell a story before going to bed, but he keeps interrupting.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47
Collections: Ironhusbands Bingo 2020





	The Prince And Knight

**Author's Note:**

> For Ironhusbands bingo O3-Bedtime Stories

"Once upon a time, there-" 

Tony snorted. "You're starting your story with 'once upon a time'?" 

"Do you want the bedtime story or not? And keep in mind that  _ you _ are the one that begged  _ me _ to do this," Jim said. 

Tony mimed zipping his mouth closed and looked up at his boyfriend expectantly. He had his head in Jim's lap, staring up at him. From this angle, his puppy eyes looked bigger than normal-- or maybe that was the level of tired he was. 

"Once upon a time, there was a prince. He had a kind heart, though he tried not to show it. His father was an evil king. He was a dick, and we hate him." 

Tony laughed. "Is this a thinly veiled story of what you think of my relationship with Howard?" 

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Anyways, in this wonderful land, the king was chosen not by lineage, but by who was smartest. The king could be overthrown if someone smarter came along." 

"And the prince was smarter?" 

"The prince was  _ so _ much smarter. And cuter, but that's not important to the story." 

"Mmhmm," Tony hummed, turning his face into Jim's stomach as if to hide his grin-- Jim didn't think it counted as properly hiding since it was  _ his _ skin that it was being hidden in; he could feel it, even if he couldn't see it. "So what happens to the prince?" 

"The king sends him away, hoping that his spirit will be broken, and he'll never return to the kingdom. What the evil king wasn't counting on, was the dashing knight that came upon the prince and fell in love with him." 

"See, the way I remember it," Tony said, his words muffled against Jim's shirt, "you thought I was pitiful and took me under your wing so I wouldn't get beaten up." 

"I didn't say the knight  _ immediately _ fell in love with the prince-- just that he fell in love with him. And this wasn't supposed to be an interactive story, you know. How are you going to get to sleep if you keep talking?" 

"Fall asleep while you're talking? That doesn't sound like me. Besides, I thought Jan was talking the other day about how old stories were designed to be changed with the audience and interact with them." 

"You're so fucking picky," Jim said fondly, running his fingers through Tony's hair. There wasn't any mousse in it anymore since they'd taken a shower earlier, which left it soft and fluffy in a way it usually wasn't. "First, you beg me to tell you a story, then you complain when I make it up on the spot, and  _ then _ you want for it to make perfect sense. You should've been upfront about what you really wanted, was for us to playfully argue with each other." 

"Playfully argue?" Tony repeated, snickering. 

"Can you think of a better word for what this is we're doing right now?" 

"Banter?" 

"Banter really sounds better to you than playfully arguing?" 

"You think banter sounds worse?" Tony asked doubtfully, pulling back to look at him. 

"Well to be honest, I think they sound pretty much the same." 

"Then you should use banter, because it's shorter." 

Jim rolled his eyes. "Do you want to know how the story ends or not?" 

"It's not like you know the ending, is it?" Tony asked, looping an arm around his back-- and having to wiggle against the couch cushion to get it into place. 

"The prince and the knight live happily ever after, of course." 

"What about the king?" 

"Who gives a shit about the king? The prince is the hero of the story, and he ends it happy. That's all that matters." 

Tony smiled up at him. "I take it back; you're a good storyteller." 

"Thank you. And of course the knight ends the story happy too." 

"How could he not, with a prince?" 

"Exactly." 


End file.
